On May 5-6 in New Orleans, leadership will be a major theme when “the U.S. Army War College meets the Executive War College on Lab and Pathology Management” in a special workshop for executive leaders of labs and pathology groups

Some would argue that leadership in medical laboratories today has something in common with the opening line of a famous 19th century novel.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” is the first sentence in “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens’ famous novel. Many pathologists and clinical laboratory managers would agree that this sentence accurately describes today’s marketplace for medical laboratory testing.

Clinical Laboratories Have Opportunities to Add Value

The “best of times” describes the flood of new diagnostic technologies that make it possible for clinical laboratories to detect many diseases earlier and more accurately than ever before. It also describes how increasing knowledge of the human genome, proteome, and microbiome generates new ways that pathologists, clinical chemists, and laboratory scientists can help physicians and patients.

The “worst of times” relates to the steady erosion in the prices for lab tests, and the shrinking budgets seen at many labs today. Other negative forces are the aggressive actions by Medicare officials and managed care companies to exclude many new lab tests from coverage, and to adopt narrow networks that deny access to patients for large numbers of community labs and hospital labs. Indeed, from this perspective, and compared to the past decade, many would agree that it is “the worst of times.”

Can Medical Laboratories Enjoy Success in Today’s Market?

These facts present every lab administrator, executive, manager, and pathologist with a conundrum. If it really is “the best of times and the worst of times,” then what does a medical laboratory organization need to ensure success? What resources does a lab need so that it can flourish because it draws upon the “best of times” elements of today’s healthcare system?

Leadership! That’s my best answer to that question. The hallmark of successful organizations—whether for-profit or not-for-profit—is dynamic leaders. It is not enough to be just a good manager during times of change.

Why Leaders Have Different Skills than Managers

Leaders are different than managers and administrators. What comes to your mind’s eye when you think of a leader? How does that differ from what you envision when you think of a manager?

Next, take those concepts of leaders and managers and think about yourself and your lab team. Of all the managers, directors, and administrators in your lab organization, how many would you agree would be seen as leaders by outsiders visiting your lab?

The next question is more personal: are your personal leadership skills polished to the high level that meets the professional goals you have for your organization and the personal goals you have for your career? If not, do you have a plan to sharpen those leadership skills?

In his best-selling book, “Zero to One”, author and successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur Peter Thiel defines an effective founder [leader] this way: “Founders [leaders] are important not because they are the only ones who whose work has value, but rather, because a great founder [leader] can bring out the best work from everybody at his company [laboratory].”

Helping You Build Your Leadership Skills

To increase your personal leadership skills—and to provide you with the perfect learning opportunity for the emerging younger leaders in your clinical lab and pathology group—a special series of learning sessions and leadership workshops will take place at the upcoming “20th Annual Executive War College on Lab and Pathology Management.” This will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 5-6, 2015.

Leadership in top-performing labs is a theme that will be front and center at the upcoming “Executive War College on Lab and Pathology Management” in New Orleans on May 5-6. Pictured above is keynote speaker Jeffery D. McCausland, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Diamond6 Leadership and Strategy, a strategic consultancy. In addition to his keynote address on leadership, McCausland will conduct a six-hour workshop on executive leadership on Thursday, May 7. This workshop is tailored to the needs of managers at all levels in clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups. (Photo copyright Diamond6 Leadership and Strategy.)

There is an important fact about McCausland that should catch your attention. He is a retired Army Colonel and was formerly the Dean of Academic Studies at the Army War College in Carlisle. As you can imagine, this gives him unique perspectives on leadership, since throughout his career, he has been involved in training and developing high-performanceleaders within the military, in business, and in not-for-profit organizations.

Learn Leadership Techniques Used by the ‘Best and Brightest’

Having McCausland present and teach will truly be where the Army War College (which trains the nation’s best and brightest officers for high-performance leadership) meets the Executive War College (where top-producers in laboratory management come to advance their skills and master new management techniques).

On Wednesday morning, May 6, you’ll hear McCausland address the general session with a presentation titled: “Using the Military’s Top 10 Leadership Lessons to Advance Your Lab . . . and Help Your Career!”

During this presentation, you’ll get practical insights about what distinguishes a leader from a manager, administrator, or director. You’ll learn how the leadership lessons developed by the U.S. Military have value to your lab, and you’ll discover the best ways to apply these lessons to advance the success of your lab organization.

Advanced Leadership Training Tailored for Lab Executives

But that’s just for starters. For attendees who are serious about taking their personal career to a higher level of leadership effectiveness—and who bring their lab’s up-and-coming younger leaders to this conference—McCausland will conduct a full leadership skills workshop on Thursday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

In recognition of “the best of times” and “the worst of times” in healthcare and the lab industry, McCausland and Maxwell, will tailor your leadership learning to not only inspire and motivate you, but to also achieve immediate results in your laboratory. You’ll experience three learning modules over the course of this workshop:

Never before has this level of leadership training and development been offered within the laboratory profession. It is an exceptional and never-to-be-repeated opportunity to hear, learn, and work with an expert who has trained the nation’s finest military leaders at the Army War College, and continues to do the same at leading corporations and organizations across the United States and overseas.

Ideal Leadership Training for Every Lab Executive and Manager

Whether you are a CEO or lab administrator, the pathologist business leader of your group, or a key lab manager—make plans to attend now, and be sure to bring along your lab’s up-and-coming younger leaders.

PS: As Founder of the Executive War College and your host, I am personally excited to hear McCausland’s general session presentation. I will also be an enthusiastic participant at the Thursday Leadership Workshop because, like you, I am a lifetime learner and intend to seize this opportunity to gain more mastery over the essential skills of leadership. You have my personal guarantee that you will get all you expect, and more, from these exceptional learning opportunities. If not, your tuition for the workshop will be refunded in full. Act today and register yourself and your best young leaders!